iPhone 2.2 Feature...Free Starbucks ATT WiFi Without Login?

Discussion in 'iPhone' started by Kendall015, Nov 24, 2008.

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  1. Kendall015, Nov 24, 2008

    Kendall015 macrumors regular

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    #1
    I experienced something today that may be a feature of the new 2.2 firmware, but I want others to confirm.

    I went to Starbucks for the first time in well over a week, and when I was playing on the internet on my iPhone, I noticed that I was browsing using AT&T's WiFi without logging in. In the past I had to go through the process of typing in my phone number and waiting for a special text message every single time I wanted to connect, but I didn't have to do anything at all today. Is this a new feature of the 2.2 firmware, the AT&T WiFi routers, or is the router at this Starbucks just configured wrong?
     
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  2. Stratus Fear, Nov 24, 2008

    Stratus Fear macrumors 6502

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    Atlanta, GA
    #2
    It's probably just that Starbucks. I was using the free Wifi on 2.2 at my local shop (while waiting in the drive-thru :D long line) and I still had to authenticate with my phone number.
     
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  3. G4R2, Nov 24, 2008

    G4R2 macrumors 6502a

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    #3
    I wish this were the case- I went to Starbucks today and had to follow the usual log in.
     
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  4. scaredpoet, Nov 24, 2008

    scaredpoet macrumors 604

    scaredpoet

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    #4
    I ad to authenticate today at my local Starbucks, so either the router at yours was misconfigured and everyone is getting free WiFi, or you may have been on a stray, open non-Starbucks WiFi access point without knowing it.
     
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  5. mkrishnan, Nov 24, 2008

    mkrishnan Moderator emeritus

    mkrishnan

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    Grand Rapids, MI, USA
    #5
    This has always annoyed me with the cellular company's hotspots -- T-Mobile ones are also like this. It would be really nice if there were some mechanism whereby it could recognize a phone that belonged to the system and log you in automatically, since it's such a nuisance to do the login on a phone and it's not necessarily persistent.
     
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  6. Kevrani, Nov 24, 2008

    Kevrani macrumors newbie

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    Nov 15, 2007
    #6
    That's strange, because in the UK, the two Wifi hotspot providers record your iPhone's MAC address, so you only need to authenticate the once
     
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  7. preguntonontrac, Nov 24, 2008

    preguntonontrac macrumors 6502

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    #7
    Mine does the same some how it logs on my university and any Starbucks without log in.
     
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  8. kas23, Nov 24, 2008

    kas23 macrumors 603

    kas23

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    #8
    I can confirm this too. Went to Starbucks yesterday and it jumped right on Wifi without login required. I initially thought it was a glitch.
     
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